Philippe Coutinho

La Liga has confirmed that five unnamed players across Spain’s top two divisions have tested positive for Covid-19, as plans remain in place to resume domestic football in the country on 20 June.

The Spanish government was one of the first in Europe to impose the type of lockdown restrictions that have since been put in place right across the continent, but although over 26,000 people have died with the virus – around 10% of global deaths – daily numbers are falling steadily.

‘Only’ 143 deaths were recorded on Sunday, another slight decrease from Saturday’s 179, and the government – having already eased restrictions to allow citizens hour-long walks with members of the same household – have announced plans to further loosen the lockdown from Monday.

With things cautiously on the up, football authorities have been quick to put a plan in action to resume and finish the season. On Friday, Leganes manager Javier Aguirre confirmed a 20 June start date that would see the 2019/20 campaign wrapped up by 26 July.

“We’ve now got a restart date: La Liga will start again on June 20 and we’ll officially finish within five weeks, on July 26,” Aguirre said. “[Matches] will be played Saturday, Sundays, Wednesdays and Thursdays for the 11 [remaining] fixtures.”

The league have confirmed, however, that there have been five new cases among La Liga and Segunda Liga players – and the infected players will require two negative tests before they are allowed to return to training.

That may come as worrying news, but it’s important to note the context. Those five new cases come after more than 2,000 tests were undertaken by players and coaching staff, and given that the country is on its way out of an unprecedented pandemic, it was inevitable that some residual cases would come to light.

All five players, as yet unnamed, are believed to be well and asymptomatic.

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For more from Robbie Copeland, follow him on Twitter!

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It’s been a tough couple of years for Philippe Coutinho. Bayern Munich don’t appear to be keen on keeping hold of him permanently, and nor do his parent club.

After earning himself a ‘dream’ £142m move to Barcelona in January 2018, his former club Liverpool have gone from strength to strength, while he has struggled to make an impression at his new home.

Barça are now keen to offload the Brazilian, with a source confirming to 90min that this is the case because they are looking to free up funds for new arrivals. Liverpool do have first refusal, but they are unlikely to take up this option.

As a result, with his future unclear, Coutinho has been linked with just about every club in Europe. The likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham appear the most likely destinations, while Manchester United (somehow), Leicester, Everton and the soon-to-be financial powerhouse that is Newcastle United have all supposedly expressed an interest.

But is it really the best thing for Barça to be offloading Coutinho?

The club paid somewhere around £142m for his services, and are now looking to move him on potentially on loan with an option to buy, or permanently if the right offer were to come in. The Catalan club are hoping for an offer of around the £100m mark.

The likelihood of a club conjuring up such a sum is highly unlikely, however, especially in the current financial climate. A loan would make more sense, but La Blaugrana would still take a major loss from his departure. Considering all the financial uncertainty at Barcelona as well as the political tension and overall problems, it would be illogical to part ways with Coutinho in the summer window.

And this is especially the case, considering the club’s ambitions to bring in Lautaro Martinez, with Inter and Barça said to have ‘finally’ agreed a €60m fee as well as two players in exchange. Offloading Coutinho for far less than his actual market value would be detrimental and counter-productive. Instead, Barça should look to utilise him next season because he is just what they need.

Yes, Coutinho has struggled since his move, there’s no denying that, but Barcelona have had their faults this season – a lot of them – and notably, they’re in need of creativity and a link between the midfield and attack. There aren’t many better players than Coutinho in that department.

Arthur Melo’s future appears uncertain and so does Arturo Vidal’s, while Ivan Rakitic is at ‘war’ with the club – therefore, the squad could potentially be trimmed this summer without too many arrivals coming in. Coutinho, however, brings versatility, creativity, skill, vision and much more. Yet to work under Quique Setén, this could be just the clean slate the former Liverpool man requires in order to rediscover his best form.

Not only that, Setién’s style of play would suit Coutinho, and he could have a major impact on the team should he be given the chance. The former Betis boss’ men play intricate passing, giving and going, trying to find the pockets of space to break down the opponent. However, there has been a distinct lack of creativity, while there has also been an over-reliance on the great Lionel Messi to simply work his magic.

This season, Antoine Griezmann, Ousmane Dembele, Sergio Busquets, Frenkie de Jong, Vidal, Arthur and Rakitic have managed just 16 assists between them. As for goals, these same seven players have managed just 22 goals in La Liga.

With Bayern Munich in 2019/20, Coutinho has managed nine goals and eight assists in 32 appearances in all competitions. But it is worth noting that only 22 of these appearances have come from the start. This hasn’t been deemed good enough for Bayern to part ways with around €120m to make the move permanent – and rightly so.

But while Coutinho’s main problem on loan this season has been consistency, it is clear to see the creativity and quality he brings to any team. With Setién’s philosophy, Coutinho could be deployed on either the left or as an attacking midfielder, providing the link between the midfield and the attack.

While the attackers would thrive off his vision and passing, Coutinho himself would also be able to get forward and try his luck from distance or in and around the edge of the box. This has been another problem for Barça, and Coutinho could be just the solution.

The 27-year-old has already shown the Barça faithful what he can bring to the team, grabbing eight goals and five assists in just 16 starts after first completing his move to the club. Not to mention the stunning performances he put in to entice La Blaugrana into signing him for such a hefty amount in the first place.

Barcelona are in need of a Philippe Coutinho-type player, someone to help alleviate the pressure on Messi and create the right balance in the team. Coutinho can be exactly this man, he just needs Setién to show the necessary faith in him, allowing him to start enjoying playing his football again and in turn, rediscovering his best form.

From an economical standpoint, selling Coutinho doesn’t make sense. From a footballing standpoint, it doesn’t make sense either. If given the opportunity, Coutinho could be just the man Barça are crying out for.

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For more from Adam Aladay, follow him on Twitter!

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Barcelona have confirmed that defender Samuel Umtiti has sustained a calf injury, with no time scale given for his return to action.

The club returned to training on Friday for the first time since La Liga’s season ground to a halt at the beginning of March as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

However, it has taken until just the second training session back for the first injury to be picked up.

Barcelona announced on their official club website that Umtiti suffered an injury to his right calf during Saturday’s individual training session at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, Barcelona’s training complex.

Players had been partaking in individual training regimes in order to build their fitness levels up while maintaining social distancing.

La Liga is aiming to restart again on 20 June.

Barcelona have not disclosed how serious Umtiti’s injury is, or whether he will be expected to return for La Liga’s proposed kick off date.

The centre back has featured 16 times in all competitions this season prior to the suspension of football, having sustained various knee and thigh problems throughout the campaign.

Injuries have plagued Umtiti’s time at Barcelona since his €25m move from Lyon in 2016.

The French international missed seven matches between September and October after suffering a foot injury, before picking up a knee problem that kept him out for a further fortnight less than a week after returning to action.

During the 2018/19 season, Umtiti was absent for 28 games over the course of five months after sustaining two separate knee injuries.

Barcelona are due to return to training once more on Monday ahead of the proposed return to action in just over a months time.

Games are due to be played on Saturdays, Sundays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in order to fulfil the remaining 11 league fixtures.

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Juventus midfielder Miralem Pjanic has reached an agreement with Barcelona to join the club in the summer, according to a report, with the Catalan giants offering a selection of players as part of a swap deal.

Pjanic has been on Barcelona’s radar for quite some time, with the club registering three failed attempts to bring him to Camp Nou between 2016 and 2018.

Barcelona instead signed André Gomes in 2016, Paulinho in 2017 and Arthur Melo in 2018.

According to a report in La Gazzetta dello Sport, Barcelona are to offer up the latter in an exchange deal for Pjanic.

The Juventus midfielder has supposedly ‘said yes’ to the deal and is prepared to swap Turin for Barcelona, but the proposed move hinges on the two clubs finding a counterpart in the transfer.

Arthur is undecided on moving in the opposite direction, and his reluctance could prove to be a sticking point.

The 23-year-old has been a regular in the Barcelona midfield since signing from Brazilian side Gremio in 2018, making 67 appearances in all competitions. His contract at Camp Nou runs until 2024.

Should Arthur turn down the opportunity to move to Juventus, Barcelona are willing to offer Arturo Vidal and Ivan Rakitic instead.

Juventus would be prepared to do a deal involving Arthur, but would be less willing to part with Pjanic if they received Vidal or Rakitic in return. According to the report, they are not convinced by Rakitic, while Vidal’s age – 32 – is a stumbling block.

Pjanic has three years remaining on his Juventus deal, having signed an extension in 2018.

The 30-year-old joined the Old Lady from Roma for £28m in 2016, collecting six major trophies during his four years with the club.

Pjanic has made 32 appearances this season, chipping in with three goals and four assists to help Juventus to the Serie A summit prior to the league’s suspension.

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It’s happening. It’s finally happening. Football is starting to return. Finally.

It feels like an eternity since the coronavirus outbreak first brought things to a halt, but La Liga sides are among the first to get the ball rolling once more after the Spanish government deemed that it was safe to return to training.

It was a big day for everyone, and that excitement spilled over on to social media.

Barcelona were one of the sides who took to the pitch on Friday for the first time in nearly two months, with players all permitted to work individually to keep on top of their fitness.

As per the government’s rules, the players all arrived in their training kit and went to their designated training area immediately. After training alone, they were all sent home without visiting communal areas like the changing rooms or dining hall.

It wasn’t only Barcelona who got back among the action on Friday, with a number of sides taking the opportunity to welcome their stars back.

At the minute, there is no definitive plan on how to bring La Liga back. Leganés manager Javier Aguirre recently claimed that 20 June is already down in the diaries of league officials, but there are likely a few more obstacles to overcome first.

However, in the meantime, it’s time to enjoy the sight of players out on grass once more.

Unfortunately for Atlético Madrid, it wasn’t all fun for them. Diego Simeone’s men spent the morning finalising their coronavirus tests, but the plan is to start again on Saturday.

However, they will be without left-back Renan Lodi, who is believed to have tested positive for the virus.

Lodi has instead entered a ten-day isolation period, but will hopefully be ready to join up with his teammates at the end.

But among all the excitement of football returning, don’t forget about social distancing. Stay safe.

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It’s April 2002: Oasis are in the charts, the first World Cup of the new millennium is fast approaching, and all across the land people are watching TV in anticipation for the advert breaks. Why is that? Well, in April 2002, advertising truly peaked with a campaign from Nike known as the ‘Secret Tournament’.

In three minutes of screen time, Nike completely changed the ad game, presenting a first-goal-wins knock out tournament, an exhibition of pure brilliance with football skills that were emulated in school playgrounds everywhere.

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Nike were known for their genius advertising, but this took it to the next level as they pitted 24 of the world’s best players (under their sponsorship) against each other in three-a-side matches.

What, though, would happen if it were remade today? 18 years after it first hit screens, here at 90min, we’re deciding how it would be approached in 2020. And because this is purely fantasy, we’re ignoring the sponsorship rules that robbed us of seeing the likes of Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham and Gabriel Batistuta take part.

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The Teams

The 24 players were split into eight teams of three, and given a fun name which reflected the teams unique personality. We’re going to break down each team and suggest contemporary replacements to try and maintain the essence of the originals, but with improvements here and there.

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Tutto Benne – Fabio Cannavaro, Rio Ferdinand, Tomas Rosicky

With a name translating to ‘Everything Good’, you’d expect a bit more balance. While Cannavaro and Ferdinand were among the best defenders of their day, there’s not a lot going forward. Rosicky was never the most prolific, and there’s nobody to create for ahead of him. No wonder they went out in round one.

It is possible to keep the essence of this team whilst making them more competitive. Starting with Virgil van Dijk, you have not only one of the best defenders of the modern day, but a goal threat too. Putting him with David Alaba would keep the defensive feel, but also allow more going forward, especially when Hakim Ziyech is added, far more threatening in front of goal.

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Equipo Del Fuego – Hernan Crespo, Claudio Lopez, Gaizka Mendieta

Roughly translating to ‘Firing Squad’, this team is full of flair, and the total opposite to Tutto Benne in that they offer nothing at the back. Mendieta having to sit and allow Lopez to create isn’t enough to go all the way, but with Crespo up front, a lucky goal is never off the cards.

We’ve not even attempted to sort their defensive frailties, this team needs to go all out if they want to win. Manchester City teammates Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling together with Memphis Depay would be scintillating to watch in such a close quarters game. If the opposition can’t get the ball, they can’t score, right?

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Toros Locos – Javier Saviola, Luis Enrique, Freddie Ljungberg

Crazy by name, crazy by nature. This lot would be feared in the draw because of their sheer unpredictability. Ljungberg was in the form of his life going into this, and with Barcelona teammates Luis Enrique and Saviola in tow, well, anything could happen.

There were no goalkeepers in 2002 for obvious reasons, but the game’s evolved. Ederson would be great for this team, even if banned from using his hands. Matched with Casemiro for energy and Raul Jimenez for the goal threat, they’d avoid their first round exit while still being…let’s say ‘wacky’.

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Funk Seoul Brothers – Denilson, Seol, Ronaldinho

Probably the best name, although on paper, not the best players all round. Then again, Ronaldinho could have won this tournament by himself. Denilson was still ok at this point, but the strangest inclusion is former Wolves and Reading forward Seol Ki-hyeon.

If a Korean was the building block of this side, then that should be the case in 2020 again, but with the superior Son Heung-min. Replace Denilson with Paulo Dybala to upgrade the flair, and who better to replace Ronaldinho than Neymar?

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Cerberus – Edgar Davids, Lilian Thuram, Sylvain Wiltord

This team is beautiful. As balanced as a samurai sword, with two players, Davids and Thuram, who were equally capable at attacking and defending. If you thought Wiltord is out of place, you’re just showing your age. He won Arsenal the title at Old Trafford a month after this aired.

A tough team to improve upon, we’ve swapped Davids for Sergio Busquets to keep a good pivot, and Thuram for Matthijs de Ligt to keep the defensive mobility. In the grand scheme of things, Wiltord didn’t age well, but Sadio Mane will. He’ll keep the goal threat whilst adding even more flair.

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Triple Espresso – Francesco Totti, Hidetoshi Nakata, Thierry Henry

These guys won the whole thing. While everyone was expecting a colossal showdown in the final, a genius ploy by Henry and Totti at kickoff caught everyone out, and probably led to a lot of kids having back pain in the weeks following. Though Henry scoring a long ranger header was very unrealistic… Up until then, it was Nakata that stood out, with a peach of a backheel volley in the semi final.

How do you improve on champions? Like this – begin with five time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo. Why stop there, add Henry’s heir apparent Kylian Mbappe to keep the pace threat on the break, and finish it off with Kevin De Bruyne to pull the strings. Who would dare challenge that trio?

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The One-Touchables – Patrick Vieira, Paul Scholes, Ruud Van Nistelrooy

Just how did this team go out in round one? So well balanced and yet they couldn’t score despite having Van Nistelrooy? This was a bit of pure fantasy as Man Utd fans got to see Vieira line up alongside two of their favourites, no matter how short lived it was.

We’re uniting three rivals in an attempt to keep the core of the One-Touchable dream alive, but give them a chance of winning. Paul Pogba would surely relish a game like this, and we’re sitting Jordan Henderson behind him to keep things ticking over. The closest we can get in todays game to Van Nistelrooy is Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, so he completes the lineup.

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Os Tornados – Luis Figo, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos

The best team on paper, the pre tournament favourites, robbed by a kickoff play…say what you want, but these three should have won it. The best in their positions in the world at the time, and always in G.O.A.T conversations, Figo, Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos underachieved, and we aim to fix that.

The hardest team to remake because where do you even start? We’re starting with Lionel Messi. If Ronaldo is in the team that won the original, it’s only right Messi has a chance to rewrite history. We’ll pair him with Sergio Aguero to give dynamism and synergy to the team. Finally, how do you replace the best attacking full-back in the world? With Trent Alexander-Arnold.

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The Master of Ceremonies

Playing the presenter, referee and world’s most animated fan, Eric Cantona was somehow the star of it all. Who else in football has the man’s charisma? The face of Nike adverts right up until their Joga Bonito campaign, Cantona arguably has the biggest shoes to fill.

While Dimitar Berbatov is an honourable mention, and we’d all love to see Roy Keane’s take on the event, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the only choice. He has the charisma down, and he’d be great at the whole ‘I’m not playing, but only because I’d show you all up’ mantra that Cantona had.

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The Production

One of the most iconic parts of the whole thing was the song. The JXL remix of Elvis Presley’s 1968 B-side A LIttle Less Conversation shot to number one in nine countries after its use in the commercial, and the lyrics read as if Elvis wrote them specifically for the campaign.

While the song arguably tied the whole thing together, if we were pressed to decide on a new song for the remake, we’d suggest an upbeat remix of a song like Kasabian’s Vlad the Impaler, Gorillaz Dare or the Arctic Monkey’s Brianstorm.

It would be difficult to see the advert anywhere but the cargo ship (we know it sank in the ‘Rematch’ advert), but other than Zlatan finding the ship out in the ocean as part of the narrative, which would be an amazing teaser by the way, there may need to be a change of location.

The idea of ‘Secret Tournament’ worked because of the remoteness of a ship in the middle of the sea that the players could only access by boat. Therefore, we’re suggesting a helicopter ride to an underground research facility deep in the mountains, far away from any civilisation, where Zlatan is waiting to welcome you to the next-gen cage.

Finally, the original advert was directed by Monty Python member Terry Gilliam. He produced a dazzling piece of work, and it would be hard to follow in his footsteps, but not impossible. There are many extremely talented directors who would relish the chance to remake this.

Our choice is Sam Mendes. He has a track record of directing huge scale action projects that feel incredibly personal, like Skyfall and 1917. He’d be able to find all the drama of a knockout tournament whilst still making it feel like it was happening in our living rooms.

The one thing about Mendes though? We don’t know whether he’s a football fan. Only someone who knows the game should tackle this, and if Mendes doesn’t care for the sport, the next best would be known Bury fan Danny Boyle. He’s already directed cage football in a scene from Trainspotting, so he’d be a safe bet too.

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Barcelona midfielder Arturo Vidal is understood to be open to joining Newcastle United this summer, but only if former Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri takes over as manager.

With Newcastle’s Saudi-backed takeover close to completion, plans for countless huge transfers are already being suggested. Philippe Coutinho and Kalidou Koulibaly have both been mentioned, and Vidal’s name has also popped up in the media.

According to Mundo Deportivo, the Chile international would be prepared to join Newcastle if he can be reunited with his old manager, but a move is currently unlikely as Allegri is not the favourite to take over.

Instead, former Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino is believed to be Newcastle’s preferred option, with the Magpies willing to make Pochettino one of the highest-paid managers in the world to move to St James’ Park.

If the Argentine does get the job, it seems like a move for Vidal would be off the table as he only wants to work with Allegri.

Vidal was already at Juventus by the time Allegri arrived in 2014 and they only spent one year together, but it was a successful season for both as Juventus made it all the way to the Champions League final.

Having spent several years in a deep midfield role under Antonio Conte, Vidal was moved into a more advanced role under Allegri, and his impressive showings earned him an eight-placed finish in the UEFA Best Player in Europe award race.

Bayern Munich came knocking and brought Vidal and Allegri’s relationship to an abrupt end, but it seems like the 32-year-old would be interested in a reunion.

Vidal is one of several players who have been heavily linked with a move away from Barcelona, with a switch to Inter (and a reunion with Conte) as part of a deal for Lautaro Martínez regularly discussed.

That definitely seems more likely than a switch to Newcastle, whose focus is not on Allegri. Pochettino is the priority, but Allegri is on their shortlist and could emerge as a real option if they cannot strike a deal with the former Spurs boss.

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Last updated: 07/05/2020

One of the most exciting parts of the beginning of a new football season is seeing what kits have been conjured up by manufacturers over the course of the summer

However, while there is plenty of football potentially still to be played before the 2020/21 season gets underway, we’ve already had a sneak peak at what some of La Liga’s biggest clubs might be wearing next term.

Here’s a look at what we know – or think we know – so far…

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Atlético Madrid

Los Rojiblancos rarely deviate from the simple red and white stripes we’re so accustomed to, and it seems like next year will be no different. However, next season’s shirt will have brushstroke stripes which give the kit a little (very little) bit of a different look.

It appears the Atlético away shirt will consist of deep blue and dark red gradient striping, although very few pictures of the shirt are available.

The third kit will be eye-catching to say the least, with a bright, essentially fluorescent yellow being implemented with black used for the sponsors and logos.

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Barcelona

Undoubtedly a popular shirt for next season, Barcelona will revert back to vertical stripes from the chequered pattern used this campaign, taking inspiration from the 2011 Champions League winning shirt.

The away shirt is already being touted as the shirt of the 2020/21 season, proving that sometimes simplicity is key. The kit features a lovely black and gold design that just looks elegant as hell.

Everyone loves a pink shirt, don’t they? Well, here’s Barcelona’s attempt which will be used as their third kit for next season, combining pink with a vibrant light blue.

Oh, and if you’re interested in pre-match shirts – because apparently they’re a real thing you can buy now – here’s your fill.

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Real Madrid

What Real Madrid’s home kit will look like next season is still a little uncertain, but the strongest rumours suggest that the standard white of Los Blancos will be spruced up with a pink tiger print sleeve cuff.

Madrid have done fairly well at keeping their cards close to their chest on next season’s kits, but we know that their away kit will be pink – fairly similar to Barcelona’s third shirt but without the blue – even if we don’t have an exact idea of what it will look like just yet.

However, we do know the third kit will be black, and will likely once again have some element of pink on it.

It turns out pink is actually the new black.

The pre-match jersey is also – you guessed it – pink beyond belief, and will likely divide opinion.

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Valencia

Unsurprisingly, Valencia’s all-white home kit won’t be massively altered for the 2020/21 season, however it will boast a new pattern designed to resemble the infamous ceiling of the Llotja de la Seda.

It appears that Valencia will yet again unleash a stunning bright orange shirt which will be worn as part of their away kit in La Liga and Europe next season.

Valencia’s third shirt will likely be a simple dusty blue – appearing in the picture below on the far right.

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A failure to complete the current 2019/20 season could result in an £8.7bn drop in player values among Europe’s top ten leagues, according to a global accountancy firm.

The coronavirus outbreak has understandably brought all of Europe’s major leagues to a halt, with several countries such as France, Belgium and the Netherlands having cancelled the remainder of the season already.

Many of Europe’s other elite leagues are looking for ways to continue the season, with not only sporting integrity at stake, but massive financial ramifications that could completely change the landscape of modern football.

According to a report from KPMG, failing to play out the rest of this season could have an unprecedented impact on player values, with Europe’s top ten leagues set to suffer an £8.7bn setback – a 26.5% reduction in player value.

The Premier League would be hit hard by a decision to end the season now, with Manchester City possibly the club most affected as their squad’s value could drop by £839m. Liverpool’s player values would be set to drop by £792m, Manchester United £624m, Chelsea £601m and Tottenham £597m, with all the aforementioned English clubs in the top ten for those that would be most impacted.

That would likely have an almighty impact on clubs lower in the football pyramid – many of whom are already struggling financially – with less money finding its way to them.

Player values often deteriorate when a player is not playing as they get older, with 2019 Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi currently the player who is set to suffer the greatest depreciation in value. If the season isn’t completed, the Barcelona man’s value could drop by 27.5%.

However, even if the season is completed behind closed doors, player values will still take a nosedive, although it would be a significantly smaller figure than if the season isn’t finished at all. Player values would drop by 17.7%, just under £6bn, if the season is completed without fans in the stadium.

The Bundesliga is currently the league closest to restarting as the German first division is set to begin at a yet unspecified date towards the end of May. The Premier League, Serie A and La Liga are still somewhat further away from picking up where they left off prior to the suspension of football.

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Dani Alves is number 8 in 90min’s Top 20 Greatest Footballers of the Decade series. Follow the rest of the series over the course of the next two weeks.

?Daniel Alves da Silva: the facts.

The most decorated footballer of all time who, in the second half of his career, has won 25 club trophies in the last decade. For three different teams. In three different countries. 

The best right-back in the world (see: FIFPro World XI) seven out of the last ten years, beaten out by Maicon (2010) and Sergio Ramos (2014 and presumably 2019, although no position breakdown was released). MVP at the 2019 Copa America. 

Dani Alves: the opinions.

The best right-back of his generation. The most complete attacking full-back of all time. One of the most fun footballers to watch, full stop. Football’s greatest exponent of social media. The single best-dressed player of this or any other century. 

Dani Alves: Dani Alves.

Brazil’s right-back is a singularly fascinating player to watch, and that’s barely the half of what makes him one of football’s most beloved characters. 

Let’s rewind. 

The decade started with Alves at ?Barcelona, having earned his move to Catalunya with a series of utterly dominant performances for Sevilla, where he was right-back, right winger and number ten all rolled into one. That Sevilla team pivoted around his abilities, and won two consecutive UEFA Cups and a Copa del Rey; finishing just five points from the title one season to boot. 

His time in Andalusia may still be the most impressive spell of his career – but we’re here to talk about this decade, not the last one. This decade, which started when ?Alves was already 26 years old, when he had just one league title to his name. 

As we end the decade, he has nine. 

All of players on this all-decade list have been outstanding in their positions and some – Manuel Neuer, Arjen Robben for e.g. – have ushered in a new way of playing the role. Alves doesn’t fall into that second category, because there literally isn’t anyone who has the skillset to do all of the things that he does. 

Speaking just last week to ?The Guardian, he said: “I’ll be sincere, I created a new way of playing as a full-back. No false modesty. I am always adapting to my teammates. If they’re wide, I’ll go into the middle. If they’re attacking, I’ll help with the control. If the ball’s on the other side, I tuck in. I play as a creative midfielder from the back.”

He’s credited Pep Guardiola for his tactical nous in the past, but that doesn’t explain away Sevilla. Maybe Pep improved him – he improves most players – but Alves’ career is his own. The arrival of Juanfran at Sao Paulo this summer has allowed the three-time Champions League winner to move into what is essentially a wandering midfield role, which…at this point, why not? 

Barcelona gave up on him in 2016, letting him leave for free despite having him under contract for a further year. He signed for Juventus, promptly broke his leg and – at the age of 33 – fought his way back to full fitness in time to single-handedly put his new team in the Champions League final; controlling both legs against Monaco and either assisting or scoring all of Juve’s goals. 

Juventus, too, let him go a year early…so he went to Paris Saint-Germain and won six trophies in a two-year stint in France, because he’s Daniel Alves da Silva, and Daniel Alves da Silva doesn’t believe in the concept of being finished. 

Just this summer, his contract at the Parc des Princes ended. He went to the Copa America as a free agent and lifted not only the trophy, but the Player of the Tournament award. As an unattached 36-year-old. Dani. Goddamn. Alves. 

Sao Paulo isn’t a retirement home for him, they just happened to be the only club who would give him a contract to take him through to the next World Cup. He’ll be 39 when everything kicks off in Qatar, and Alves wants to be there. Imagine betting against him. 

In the meantime, he continues to be one of a relatively small handful of Brazilian footballers who has taken a stand against fascist president Jair Bolsonaro – calling on him to retract “remarks made during the campaign and treat all people as human beings, regardless of their gender, their social status or their sexual orientation.”

Bolsonaro (obviously) didn’t back down, but in a political climate which has seen a large number of big names endorse the hard-right leader – including Ronaldinho, Rivaldo and Lucas Moura – Alves’ willingness to go against the grain and stand up for his own values say something about him as a man. 

A word on Alves the man, while we’re here. One of the most revisited moments of his career came at El Madrigal in 2014, when a Villarreal fan (David Campaya Lleo) threw a banana at him during a break in play. And not in the ‘you need a little pick-me-up, have an energy boost’ way. 

Alves picked the banana up, peeled it, took a bite and carried on with the game. The aftermath of the match – a reasonably spectacular one, a comeback to win from 2-0 down in the first game after Tito Vilanova’s tragic passing – was dominated by the incident. Players worldwide posted pictures on social media of themselves taking bites from bananas, a movement which Alves distanced himself from.

One of the most flamboyant athletes from any sport off the pitch, taking part in outrageous fashion photoshoots and the suchlike, there’s a seriousness to Alves that underlines his joking nature; speaking candidly (if pessimistically) about racial issues in the wider world and in the sport.

Sometimes, though, he’s just wacky. When Barcelona were knocked out of the Champions League by Atletico Madrid in Alves’ final season at the club, he posted a video on Instagram in which he dressed up as his wife, put on a falsetto voice and consoled himself for the defeat. Luis Enrique dropped him for the team’s next game, although no second video was forthcoming to console Alves for being left out of the team. 

He’s…look, he’s Dani Alves. There’s never been anyone else like him before, there will never be anyone like him again. We’ve only got a few years left of him, enjoy him while you can. 

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Number 20 – Arjen Robben: The Flying Dutchman Who Became a Modern Legend at Bayern Munich

Number 19 – Mohamed Salah: The Humble King Who Conquered Rome and Took Liverpool By Storm

Number 18 – Sergio Aguero: The Man Who Painted Manchester Blue With One Kick of a Football

Number 17 – Manuel Neuer: The Bayern Munich & Germany Legend Who Revolutionised Goalkeeping

Number 16 – Eden Hazard: The Brilliant Belgian Who Mesmerised Fans Across the World

Number 15 – Zlatan Ibrahimovic: The Man Who Needs No Introduction

Number 14 – Toni Kroos: The Underrated Jahrhunderttalent Who Was There for the Biggest Occasions

Number 13 – Giorgio Chiellini: The Juventus Legend Who Has Always Found a Way to Win

Number 12 – Marcelo: From Favela Kickabouts Under Grandad’s Watch to 4 Champions League Wins

Number 11 – Robert Lewandowski: Bayern Munich’s Best Foreign Player & Europe’s Most Underrated Star in History

Number 10 – Neymar Jr: Brazil’s Generational Talent Who Dictated the Greatest Champions League Night in History

?Number 9 – Gareth Bale: The Cursed Talent Who Went on to Conquer Europe Four Times

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